Attaching the shrouds of ships



TINTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN TABER, OF BANGOR, MAINE.

ATTACHING THE SHROUDS OF SHIPS..

Specification of Letters Patent No. 31,067, dated January 1, 1861.

To all whom "Lt may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN TABER, of Bangor, county of Penobscot, andState of Maine, have invented a newand Improved Mode of Setting Up theStanding Rigging upon Ships and Vessels; and I do hereby declare thatthe following is a full and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings and to the letters of reference markedthereon.

The nature of my invention consists in securing the ends of the standingrigging without the use of dead-eyes and lanyards, and when applied tothe upper end of the shrouds firmly securing them without the cumbersomeloop passed over the mast head.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention I willproceed to describe its construction andoperation.

It is made of iron or any other metal sufficiently strong.

In Figure 1 A A is a wedge shaped tube split longitudinally (making twosemitubes) grooved on their inner surfaces and made smooth on theoutside. The tapering form is confined to the outside. The diameter ofthe aperture is uniform. B is a strong sliding clasp around the wedgeshaped tubes of suiiicient size to pass'over the smaller end of thetubes when placed together, but not large enough to pass over the largerend of the same, and is made tapering in its bore to correspond with thetaper of the tube it surrounds. C is a nut with double straps riveted tothe clasp B. D is a double screw, right and-left screw, (square in themiddle where a lever may be applied) passing through the nut C andthrough the nut E. E is a nut similar to C having its two iron strapsattached to the chain plates or to the vessel. F is a small screw to bescrewed into holes made at intervals in the tubes A to keep the clasp Bin its place. A is a front inside view of one of the grooved semi-tubes.A is a side view of the same. B is an end view of the clasp B attachedby the straps to the nut C. F is the small screw to be put into theholes made for it in the semi-tube.

Fig. 2 represents a section of a vessel and fthe lower mast with myinvention applied to each end of a single shroud.

My invention for securing the upper end of a shroud or other standingrigging is the sameas for securing the lower end eX- cepting that theposition is reversed. To

secure the upper end of the shroud to the mast head by dispensing withthe usual loops over the mast head, I put an iron band of sufficientstrength around the head of the mast containing a number of projectingeyes corresponding to the number of pieces of rigging to be attachedthereto. To one of these eyes is attached the clasp B around the tubes Aby metallic straps.

The method of using and the operation of my invention being the same ateach end of a shroud or other piece of standing rigging I will describethe method of applying it to the lower end of a shroud. This will besufficient to enable any one to learn its application and operationunder any circumstances.

The upper end of the shroud being secured to the mast head, and the nutE being secured by its straps to the chain plate, and the screw D turnedthrough the nut E, and the clasp B by means of the other nut and strapsC screwed into the other end of the screw D, I pass the end of therigging through the clasp B far enough to allow me to place thesemi-tubes A A on the one and the other side of the rope below theclasp. This brings the smaller end of the tubes below the larger end ofthe orifice in the clasp. Then I slip the clasp over the tube and driveitdown with force and apply all the power necessary to tauten therigging to the clasp B by means of the screw D or by any other power.The semi-tubes (or jaws as they might now be called) being tapering andsmooth on the outside the greater the power applied to slide down theclasp the more firmly will the rigging be grasped. The size of thesetubes or jaws is to be graduated by the size of the rigging to whichthey are applied, and should be of such a size as to permit all needfulpressure upon them without their sides coming in contact when claspingthe rigging. After the rigging is set up the screw F may be screwed intothe outside of the tube to keep the clasp in its place in case therigging should get slack in a gale of wind and slat badly and endangerthe driving up the clasp toward the smaller end ofthe tube or jaws.After the rigging has been once set up and again become slack a fewturns upon the double screw D will probably tauten it sufficiently.If'it will not it will be easy to loosen the clasp, draw out thesemi-tubes, tubes A A as constructed, with the clasp place them fartherfrom the end of the B, and right and left screw D, operating rigging andagain secure them as before as set forth, and for the purposesdescribed. 10

with the clasp. JOHN TABER. 5 That I claim' as my invention and desireVtnesses:

to secure by Letters Patent s- CHARLES E. PHILLIPS,

The Combination of the tapering seml CHAS. S. CROSBY.

